US President Donald Trump reiterated his plans to acquire Greenland, describing it as defenseless with only 'two dog sleds' for defense. On Monday, a bill was presented in Congress for the annexation and granting of statehood to the island. Danish authorities firmly rejected the idea, emphasizing Greenland's sovereignty.
US President Donald Trump, in his second term and at the start of 2026, has once again expressed his ambition for Greenland, the world's largest island spanning 2.2 million square kilometers, located between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. As part of Denmark with extensive autonomy and its own government, Greenland has been inhabited by Arctic peoples for about 4,500 years, and its southern part by Norse settlers since 986 CE, established by explorer Erik the Red.
On Sunday, Trump claimed the island 'has a defense of only two dog sleds,' downplaying its resistance to a potential attack. He reiterated plans to 'acquire' Greenland 'one way or another,' treating it like a real estate deal. Danish ambassador to the US, Jasper Moller Sorensen, responded that 'history matters and Greenland belongs to its people.' He noted that an 'overwhelming majority of Greenlanders' voted for self-governing status within the kingdom, and that this week the five parties in Parliament reiterated they do not want to become part of the US.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that 'it makes no sense to talk about the need for the US to take over Greenland. The US has no right to annex one of the three countries of the Danish Realm.' On Monday, a bill was presented in Congress for the 'annexation and granting of statehood' to Greenland, authorizing the president to take 'necessary measures' to annex or acquire it as US territory. It also requires a report to Congress on changes needed to admit it as an official state.
Rich in minerals, Greenland's resources appear to drive Trump's interest, as he seeks to expand US wealth and dominance without regard for the island's cultural history and autonomy.
